Elastic inner pipe and pneumatic pinch valve

Abstract

The utility model provides an elastic inner pipe and a pneumatic pinch valve. The elastic inner pipe is provided with an axial lead in a limited mode and is provided with a pipe sleeve body, at least one pressure bearing face extending horizontally is formed on the outer surface of the pipe sleeve body, and the pressure bearing faces are parallel to the axial lead. As viewed in the axial direction, the pressed surface is perpendicular to a straight line defined by the center of the pressed surface and the axis. The pinch valve comprises an elastic inner pipe and is characterized by further comprising a shell and a sealing sleeve arranged between the shell and the elastic inner pipe, and the elastic inner pipe and the sealing sleeve are both arranged in the shell in a sleeved mode. When the elastic inner pipe provided by the technical scheme is extruded by compressed air, due to the existence of the compression surface, the component force, perpendicular to the compression surface, applied to the elastic inner pipe by the compressed air is larger than the component force parallel to the compression surface, so that the elastic inner pipe can be guided to close the medium channel in a manner that the compression surface extrudes the inner side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of clamp valve technology, and in particular to an elastic inner tube for a pneumatic clamp valve. Background Technology

[0002] A pneumatic pinch valve is a special type of valve that controls the flow of media using compressed air. It generally consists of a housing and an elastic inner tube fitted inside the housing, with a cavity between the inner tube and the housing to accommodate compressed air. When compressed air is injected into the cavity, the elastic inner tube is squeezed shut, cutting off the flow of media; after the compressed air is released, the elastic inner tube returns to its original shape due to its elasticity, and the media resumes flow.

[0003] Existing pneumatic pinch valves generally use elastic inner tubes with a regular circular cross-section, but these elastic inner tubes have a technical problem of irregular deformation (i.e., the elastic inner tube cannot be closed in a specific direction or position). Utility Model Content

[0004] In order to solve the technical problem of irregular deformation of the elastic inner tube in the prior art, the purpose of this utility model is to provide an elastic inner tube that can be closed in a specific direction and a pneumatic clamp valve having the elastic inner tube.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following first technical solution: an elastic inner tube, which defines an axis and has a sleeve body, wherein at least one horizontally extending pressure surface is formed on the outer surface of the sleeve body, and the pressure surface is parallel to the axis; when viewed axially, the pressure surface is perpendicular to the straight line defined by the center of the pressure surface and the axis.

[0006] In the first technical solution described above, preferably, the main body of the sleeve includes a pair of extrusion sections arranged radially opposite each other, a pair of support sections located on both sides of the circumferential direction of the extrusion sections, and a pair of folding sections arranged radially opposite each other. The extrusion sections have the minimum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube, and the support sections have the maximum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube. When viewed axially, the extrusion sections and the folding sections are alternately arranged. The center of the pair of extrusion sections defines a first straight line, and the center of the pair of folding sections defines a second straight line. The first straight line is perpendicular to the second straight line. The pressure-bearing surface is formed on the outer surface of the extrusion section.

[0007] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is further preferred that the pressure extends to the outer surface of the support segment.

[0008] In the above preferred embodiment, more preferably, the elastic inner tube is provided with a pair of radially opposite pressure-bearing surfaces.

[0009] In the preferred embodiment described above, it is further preferred that the inner surface of the folded segment extends radially outward to form a V-shaped groove, the bottom of which has the maximum distance from the inner surface of the elastic inner tube to the axis. It is also further preferred that the wall thickness is the same at all points along the folded segment.

[0010] In addition, the present invention also provides the following second technical solution: a pneumatic clamp valve having an elastic inner tube as described in any of the first technical solution and its preferred solutions, and further including a housing and a sealing sleeve disposed between the housing and the elastic inner tube, wherein the elastic inner tube and the sealing sleeve are both fitted inside the housing.

[0011] In the second technical solution described above, preferably, the sealing sleeve has at least one opening for compressed air to circulate, and the opening is radially aligned with the pressure-bearing surface.

[0012] Compared to the prior art, the elastic inner tube provided by the first technical solution of this utility model, when squeezed by compressed air, has a greater component force perpendicular to the pressure surface than parallel to the pressure surface due to the presence of the pressure surface. This can guide the elastic inner tube to close the medium channel by squeezing the pressure surface inward. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 A perspective view of the pneumatic clamp valve provided by this utility model;

[0014] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The front view of the pneumatic pinch valve is shown.

[0015] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The pneumatic pinch valve shown is a cross-sectional view obtained along the AA section line.

[0016] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0017] Figure 5 A perspective view of the elastic inner tube and sealing sleeve provided by this utility model;

[0018] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the sealing arc sheet provided by this utility model;

[0019] Figure 7 A perspective view of the elastic inner tube provided by this utility model;

[0020] Figure 8 for Figure 7 The front view of the elastic inner tube is shown.

[0021] Figure 9for Figure 8 The radial section of the sleeve body of the elastic inner tube shown is obtained along the BB section line.

[0022] Figure 10 for Figure 8 The radial section of the sleeve body of the elastic inner tube shown is obtained along the CC section line.

[0023] Figure 11 For the elastic inner tube in various states Figure 10 The diagram shows the state of the cross-section; where (a) corresponds to the elastic inner tube being fully open, (b) corresponds to the elastic inner tube being between fully open and fully closed, and (c) corresponds to the elastic inner tube being fully closed.

[0024] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the forces acting on the radial cross-section of an elastic inner tube in the prior art.

[0025] The image is labeled as follows:

[0026] 100. Pinch valve;

[0027] 1. Outer shell; 11. Air nozzle; 12. Mounting base; 13. Air chamber; 14. First inner sealing ring; 15. Second inner sealing ring; 16. Shell body; 17. Removable cover;

[0028] 2. Sealing sleeve; 21. First end; 22. Second end; 23. Opening; 24. Sealing arc; 25. Clearance groove;

[0029] 3. Flexible inner tube; 31. Medium channel; 32. First connecting part; 321. Outer extension part; 33. Second connecting piece;

[0030] 34. Tube sleeve body; 341. Extrusion section; 342. Support section; 343. Folding section; 344. Transition section; 345. Pressure-bearing surface; 346. Guide groove;

[0031] 4. End caps;

[0032] Y, the axis; L1, the first straight line; L2, the second straight line. Detailed Implementation

[0033] To explain in detail the technical content, structural features, achieved objectives and effects of this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] In this application, spatial relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “down,” “above,” “above,” “higher,” and “side” (e.g., as in a “sidewall”) are used to describe the relationship between one element and another (other) element as shown in the accompanying drawings. Spatial relative terms are intended to include different orientations of the device in use, operation, and / or manufacture other than those depicted in the drawings. For example, if the device in the drawings is flipped, an element described as “below” or “under” another element or feature would then be positioned “above” said other element or feature. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can include both above and below orientations. Furthermore, the device may be otherwise positioned (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), thus interpreting the spatial relative descriptive terms used herein accordingly.

[0035] In this application, unless otherwise specified, the term "axial" means the direction of extension of the axis defined by the elastic inner tube; the term "radial" means the direction perpendicular to the axis defined by the pneumatic pinch valve; and the term "circumferential" means the direction of the outer circumference on a radial interface.

[0036] In this application, the term "wall thickness" refers to the distance between two points on the inner and outer surfaces of the elastic inner tube, respectively, in the same radial direction.

[0037] In this application, the term "contact" means that one object comes into direct contact with another object under a certain pressure.

[0038] This utility model provides an elastic inner tube and a pneumatic clamp valve equipped with the elastic inner tube, aiming to improve at least one of the technical problems of irregular deformation and incomplete closure of flexible tubes in the prior art.

[0039] like Figure 1-3 As shown, the pneumatic pinch valve 100 provided by this utility model includes a housing 1, an elastic inner tube 3 that can deform under the action of compressed air, a sealing sleeve 2 located between the housing 1 and the elastic inner tube 3, and a pair of end caps 4 located on both sides of the pneumatic pinch valve 100 in the axial direction. The elastic inner tube 3 defines an axis Y (see...). Figure 7 End caps 4 are detachably connected to both ends of the housing 1 via fastening bolts, and are used for connecting to external media pipelines.

[0040] The outer casing 1 is generally cylindrical with an axial extension, and it includes an inner cavity (not shown in the figure) located inside and extending axially, a plurality of air nozzles 11 formed on the outer wall, and a mounting base 12 provided on the outer wall. The air nozzles 11 allow compressed air to flow into or out of the inner cavity of the outer casing 1, and the mounting base 12 provides a mounting structure for fixing the clamp valve 100 to the corresponding equipment (such as a floor scrubber).

[0041] The elastic inner tube 3 is generally cylindrical with an axially extending shape, and its inner wall has a medium channel 31 for medium flow. The elastic inner tube 3 is located inside the outer shell 1, and the outer wall of the elastic inner tube 3 and the inner wall of the outer shell 1 together define an air chamber 13 for accommodating compressed air. This air chamber 13 is fluidly connected to several air nozzles 11 on the outer shell 1 and is independent of the medium channel 31 of the elastic inner tube 3. When compressed air enters the air chamber 13 through the air nozzles 11, the pressure in the air chamber 13 rises and squeezes the elastic inner tube 3, causing the elastic inner tube 3 to deform radially inward and close the medium channel 31; after the compressed air is released, the pressure in the air chamber 13 drops, and the elastic inner tube 3 returns to a fully open state under the action of its own elastic force and the pressure difference between the two walls.

[0042] Continue reading Figure 3-5 The elastic inner tube 3 is sealed and installed inside the pinch valve 100 via the sealing sleeve 2. Specifically, the elastic inner tube 3 includes a first connecting portion 32, a second connecting portion 33 axially away from the first connecting portion 32, and a sleeve body 34 located between the first and second connecting portions. Both the first and second connecting portions have stepped structures. The sealing sleeve 2 is arranged in the air chamber 13 of the pinch valve 100, and has a first end 21 and a second end 22 axially separated from each other, and has an opening 23 for compressed air to flow through. A first inner sealing ring 14 and a second inner sealing ring 15 axially separated from each other are formed on the inner wall of the outer casing 1.

[0043] The elastic inner tube 3 is installed between the first and second inner sealing rings, and the first and second inner sealing rings have inner stepped structures that respectively adapt to the first and second connecting parts. The sealing sleeve 2 is installed between the first and second connecting parts and presses the first and second connecting parts against the first and second inner sealing rings of the outer shell 1. Similarly, the first and second ends of the sealing sleeve 2 have outer stepped structures that respectively adapt to the first and second connecting parts.

[0044] Furthermore, the first and second inner sealing rings and / or the first and second ends have several protruding lips (not shown in the figure) that protrude toward the elastic inner tube 3 on the contact surface with the flexible sleeve 3, so as to further improve the airtightness.

[0045] The outer casing 1 comprises a casing body 16 and a removable cover 17 detachably connected (but not limited to bolted, threaded, snap-fit, or plug-in connections) to the casing body 16. A first inner sealing ring 14 is integrated into the inner wall of the removable cover 17, and a second inner sealing ring 15 is integrated into the inner wall of the casing body 16. When assembling the clamp valve 100, the removable cover 17 is first removed. After installing the sealing sleeve 2 onto the flexible sleeve 3, both are axially inserted into the inner cavity of the casing body 16 until the second connecting part 33 of the flexible sleeve 3 contacts the second inner sealing ring 15 of the casing 1. Then, the removable cover 17 is installed. Compared to traditional installation methods where both the first and second inner sealing rings are detachable, this design reduces processing and assembly costs.

[0046] Furthermore, to prevent compressed air from leaking out from the gap between the shell body 16 and the second inner sealing ring 15, the outer peripheral wall of the first connecting portion 32 of the elastic inner tube 3 is formed with a radially outwardly extending outer extension portion 321. The shell body 16, the outer extension portion 321, and the removable cover 17 abut against each other in sequence.

[0047] Furthermore, the sealing sleeve 2 has only a pair of relief grooves 25 that allow the elastic inner tube 3 to deform radially outward. Each relief groove 25 extends axially and is arranged radially opposite to each other and radially aligned with a pair of folded segments 343 of the elastic inner tube 2 (see below). This structure means that the sealing sleeve 2 can prevent the elastic inner tube 3 from deforming radially outward in other directions (i.e., directions not defined by the pair of relief grooves 25), thereby guiding the deformation direction of the elastic inner tube.

[0048] Furthermore, such as Figure 6 As shown, to facilitate the insertion of the elastic inner tube 3 into the sealing sleeve 2, the sealing sleeve 2 of this invention is formed by splicing together several axially extending sealing arc plates 24 (two plates are shown as an example in the figure) circumferentially. The sealing arc plates 24 can be fixedly connected using various methods such as raised grooves, insertion, and adhesive bonding. In actual assembly, the sealing arc plates 24 are simply spliced ​​together on the outside of the elastic inner tube 3.

[0049] Before introducing the elastic inner tube 3 provided by this utility model, the existing elastic inner tubes and their technical problems will be explained. For example... Figure 12 As shown, existing technologies generally use cylindrical elastic inner tubes with uniform wall thickness. When such tubes are subjected to compressed air pressure, the pressure at all points on the tube wall (point ad in the figure) is the same and all points towards the central axis of the elastic inner tube. Therefore, the existing technology cannot deform the elastic inner tube in a specific direction.

[0050] Furthermore, in the prior art, after the elastic inner tube is squeezed shut, its two ends that are far apart (equivalent to...) Figure 11(c) Due to the large curvature of the inner surface after deformation, the inner surfaces on both sides cannot be completely attached and merged to form a narrow gap, which causes the elastic inner tube to be unable to close completely.

[0051] Continue reading Figure 7-10 The present invention provides an elastic inner tube 3. Specifically, the main body 34 of the elastic inner tube 3 has a pair of extrusion sections 341 arranged radially opposite each other, a pair of support sections 342 located on both sides of the extrusion sections 341 (i.e., a total of 4 support sections 342), and a pair of folding sections 343 arranged radially opposite each other. The support sections 342 and the folding sections 343 both extend axially, and the extrusion sections 341 can extend axially or be disposed on a certain section of the main body 34 in the axial direction (as shown in the guide groove 346 below).

[0052] Among them, the extrusion section 341 has the minimum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube 3, the support section 342 has the maximum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube 3, and the wall thickness of the folding section 343 is between that of the extrusion section 341 and the support section 342. Viewed axially (i.e....) Figure 9 , Figure 10 From the perspective of observation, the extrusion section 341 and the folding section 343 are alternately arranged along the axial direction, and the first straight line L1 defined by the center of a pair of extrusion sections 341 is perpendicular to the second straight line L2 defined by the center of a pair of folding sections 343. It can be understood that the directions of the first and second straight lines are both one of the radial directions of the elastic inner tube 3.

[0053] Combination Figure 11 In the initial stage of applying compressed air to the elastic inner tube 3, the thinnest extrusion section 341 deforms first, and the pair of extrusion sections 341 tend to move towards each other along the first straight line L1. Subsequently, due to the initial deformation of the extrusion sections 341, the component force parallel to the first straight line L1 on the elastic inner tube 3 is much greater than the component force parallel to the second straight line L2, and the elastic inner tube 3 as a whole tends to be extruded inward along the first straight line L1. The thickest support section 342 is more rigid than the folding section 343. Led by the extrusion section 341, the support section 342 moves inward towards the inner side of the elastic inner tube 3 and pushes the extrusion section 343 outward along the second straight line L2. Finally, the elastic inner tube 3 is fully closed with the pair of extrusion sections 341 located in the middle and close together, and the pair of folding sections 343 located on both sides.

[0054] Furthermore, since the four support sections 342 are arranged at the four corners, they will generate four large radially outward elastic forces on the flexible inner tube sleeve 3. These elastic forces facilitate the return of the elastic inner tube 3 from the fully closed state to the fully open state and maintain the shape of the elastic inner tube 3 in the fully open state.

[0055] Furthermore, the support section 342 is disposed adjacent to the extrusion section 341, and the elastic inner tube 3 is also provided with a transition section 344 located between the support section 342 and the folding section 343. The transition section 344 is configured such that the wall thickness gradually decreases along the direction from the support section 342 to the folding section 343, so as to avoid large internal stress on the elastic inner tube 3 due to the presence of abrupt changes in wall thickness.

[0056] Furthermore, the inner surface of the folded section 343 is constructed as a V-groove (not shown in the figure), with each V-groove extending radially outward and the bottom of the V-groove having the maximum distance from the inner surface of the deformable section 34 to the axis Y. This V-groove configuration allows for a good fit between the inner surface of the distal end (i.e., the location of the pair of V-grooves) of the elastic inner tube 3 when it is fully closed, thereby eliminating or minimizing the gaps present in the prior art.

[0057] Furthermore, the wall thickness is the same at all points of the folded section 343, and its outer surface forms a protrusion that has the same profile as the V-groove and extends radially outward. This structural design can effectively reduce the component force parallel to the straight line L2 generated by compressed air on the elastic inner tube 3, and prevent the folded section 343 from collapsing inward under the action of air pressure.

[0058] Continue reading Figure 7-10 The outer surface of the sleeve body 34 has a pair of radially opposite pressure-bearing surfaces 345. These pressure-bearing surfaces 345 extend horizontally (i.e., form a flat surface) and are parallel to the plane defined by the straight line L2 and the axis Y, i.e., when viewed from the axial direction (e.g.) Figure 9 (From the perspective of the viewpoint), the pressure-bearing surface 345 is perpendicular to the straight line defined by its center and the axis Y (which is a point in this viewpoint). Therefore, when compressed air applies pressure to the elastic inner tube 3, the force perpendicular to the pressure-bearing surface 345 is much greater than the force parallel to it, thus further guiding the elastic inner tube 3 to deform in an posture where the extrusion section 341 moves inward and the folding section 343 moves outward. The pressure-bearing surface 345 is formed on the outer surface of the extrusion section 341; in other cases, it may extend to the outer surface of the support section 342. This arrangement ensures that the tube wall at the pressure-bearing surface 345 has the minimum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube 3. In other embodiments, only one pressure-bearing surface may be provided, achieving the same technical effect of guiding the tube body to be extruded in a specific direction.

[0059] Furthermore, the sealing sleeve 23 has a pair of radially opposite openings 23, which are respectively aligned with a pair of pressure surfaces 345 in the radial direction to form a direct compressed air blowing effect.

[0060] In addition, the sleeve body 34 is provided with several guide grooves 346. These guide grooves 346 are symmetrical about the central axis of the extrusion section 341 (not shown in the figure), each guide groove 346 extends circumferentially, and the center of each guide groove 346 is located on the same radial section of the elastic inner tube 3. This design of the guide grooves 346 allows the sleeve body 34 to have a thinner wall in the axial direction (i.e., the wall thickness at the guide groove 346 is less than the wall thickness at other axial positions of the elastic inner tube 3 at the same circumferential position). When compressed air pressurizes the elastic inner tube 3, compared to other axial positions, the tube wall at the guide groove 346 first tends to be extruded inward, guiding the elastic inner tube 3 to a specific position in the axial direction (e.g., ...). Figure 8 (Position of the CC section line) Close the medium channel 31.

[0061] Furthermore, in this application, the aforementioned guide grooves 346 are located at the middle position of the elastic inner tube 3 in the axial direction.

[0062] Furthermore, from a radial cross-section perspective, several guide grooves 346 are located on the outside of a stack of folded sections 343, so as to prevent the folded sections 343 from forming a thin wall thickness that would cause them to cave into the inner side of the elastic inner tube 3 when subjected to pressure.

[0063] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of this application, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of this application and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. An elastic inner tube, defining an axis and having a sleeve body, characterized in that, The outer surface of the sleeve body has at least one horizontally extending pressure surface, which is parallel to the axis; when viewed axially, the pressure surface is perpendicular to the straight line defined by the center of the pressure surface and the axis.

2. The elastic inner tube according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tubular body includes a pair of radially opposite extrusion sections, a pair of support sections located on both sides of the circumferential direction of the extrusion sections, and a pair of radially opposite folding sections. The extrusion sections have the minimum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube, and the support sections have the maximum wall thickness of the elastic inner tube. Viewed axially, the extrusion sections and the folding sections are alternately arranged. The center of the pair of extrusion sections defines a first straight line, and the center of the pair of folding sections defines a second straight line. The first straight line is perpendicular to the second straight line. The pressure-bearing surface is formed on the outer surface of the extrusion sections.

3. The elastic inner tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure extends to the outer surface of the support segment.

4. The elastic inner tube according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, A pair of pressure-bearing surfaces are arranged radially opposite each other.

5. The elastic inner tube according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inner surface of the folded section extends radially outward to form a V-shaped groove, and the bottom of the V-shaped groove has the maximum distance from the inner surface of the elastic inner tube to the axis.

6. The elastic inner tube according to claim 5, characterized in that, The wall thickness is the same at all points in the folded section.

7. A pneumatic pinch valve, comprising an elastic inner tube as described in any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, It also includes an outer shell and a sealing sleeve disposed between the outer shell and the elastic inner tube, wherein both the elastic inner tube and the sealing sleeve are fitted inside the outer shell.

8. The pneumatic pinch valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The sealing sleeve has at least one opening for compressed air to pass through, and the opening is radially aligned with the pressure surface.

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